News: Research

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Research

Chemists Garner New Insights into Protein Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease

A mutation in a normal protein can create amyloid β, a key contributor to Alzheimer's disease, researchers have found.

Amyloid plaques in a brain tissue sample

Research

Q&A with Peter Stone: Where is Artificial Intelligence Headed?

A new study looks at how specialized applications of AI might affect life in a typical North American city by the year 2030.

A man leans against a desk beside a robotic arm

Research

Experts Forecast the Changes Artificial Intelligence Could Bring by 2030

Academic and industrial thinkers look ahead to 2030 to forecast how advances in AI might affect life in a typical North American city.

A new study, titled “Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030,” looks at the likely effects of AI technologies on urban life.

UT News

Scientists Glimpse Inner Workings of Atomically Thin Transistors

Research led by Keji Lai used a microwave microcope to see inside of a transistor so thin it is essentially two-dimensional.

A chip with transistors

UT News

Rare, Blind Catfish Never Before Found in U.S. Discovered in Texas

An extremely rare eyeless catfish species previously known to exist only in Mexico has been discovered in a National Recreation Area in Texas.

A pair of eyeless catfish

Research

Supporting Pollinators Could Have Big Payoff for Texas Cotton Farmers

Researchers at UT Austin find the secret to increasing cotton production.

A bee hovers near a pink flower

UT News

Hands-On Science Courses Boost Graduation Rates and STEM Retention

Courses that engage students in scientific research early in college dramatically increase students’ odds of completing a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) degree, analysis...

Three students in a Freshman Research Initiative wearing PPE and handling equipment

UT News

Genetic Potential of Oil-Eating Bacteria from the BP Oil Spill Decoded

Microbiologists led by Brett Baker have discovered potential in bacteria that helped to clean up the BP oil spill.

An Oil Slick stretches across a span of ocean

Research

Serotonin Regulates the Sensitivity of Brain Cells Involved in Hearing

Nace Golding, a neuroscientist at the University of Texas at Austin, and his team were surprised to find that serotonin also regulates the sensitivity of...

Illustration of the interior of the brain showing active neurons lit up

Research

Scientists Unveil the Most Comprehensive Genomic Tree of Life

Genetic data reveal a group of bacteria that are so diverse genetically that they represent half of all the diversity of bacteria on the planet

Archaea and eukaryotes.